


Romantica Week: Better Late Than Never

by Szilvia (Eyrine)



Series: JR & SIH Event Entries [1]
Category: Junjou Romantica
Genre: Clothing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Family, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Misunderstandings, Promises, Same-Sex Marriage, Summer, Summer Vacation, Traditional clothing, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26084521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eyrine/pseuds/Szilvia
Summary: "I'm doing this for you," Akihiko said. "We didn't get to celebrate your birthday last week because we were both busy, so I wanted to get us out of our daily routine. Because you deserve this."My entry forRomantica Week 2020.Prompts: summer, rest, promise, family, fashion, work, marriage
Relationships: Takahashi Misaki/Usami Akihiko
Series: JR & SIH Event Entries [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2110056
Comments: 5
Kudos: 58





	1. Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 1: **summer** | ~~beach~~

"Are you really not going to say where you're taking me?" Misaki crossed his arms, shifting his gaze from the car window on his left to the man behind the steering wheel. That mischievous little smirk wasn't a good sign.

"You'll see when we get there. Have a little patience."

Akihiko's voice was slightly higher than normal. Even though he was wearing sunglasses, the clear image of the twinkle in his eyes appeared in Misaki's mind. It was infuriating. Throwing someone into your car and abducting them was already bad enough. At least Akihiko could've had the decency to explain himself.

Misaki brought his hand up to his eyes to shield them from the sunlight. The only pair of sunglasses he owned was still lying on the table at their apartment. Maybe getting another one to keep in the car wasn't such a bad idea.

"If you're doing this to run away from your deadlines again..."

"Why do you always assume the worst of me?"

"It saves time."

Misaki didn't enjoy being so blunt, but it had happened too many times before. It was impossible not to be wary. When he saw the smirk disappear and the hands on the steering wheel tighten, though, he regretted his words immediately.

"I'm doing this for you," Akihiko said. "We didn't get to celebrate your birthday last week because we were both busy, so I wanted to get us out of our daily routine."

"You could've told me."

"I wanted it to be a surprise. Besides, you would've tried to stop me, but you need to understand that I want to do this for you. Because you deserve this."

It felt warmer than before and Misaki knew it wasn't from the sun beating down on the car. The air conditioning had been on the entire time. He turned away, pressing his cheek against the window next to him. The glass felt cold against his skin, much colder than it was supposed to. 

Misaki wanted to yell at Akihiko for embarrassing him, but he didn't have the heart. He knew he needed this, and having someone recognizing his needs without him saying anything made him feel loved and understood. Not once had he complained about the neverending chaos at the office, but Akihiko had just sensed how stressed out he was.

Frankly, just being away from the big city brought peace. No skyscrapers or factories were in sight, only pine forests and tall mountains in the distance. Misaki had no idea where they were.

"What exactly is the plan?" he asked.

"We're going to a place where no one can disturb us and enjoy our vacation there. Just the two of us."

Misaki snapped his head in the opposite direction so fast it hurt his neck. "What? Vacation? For how long?"

"Only a week."

"A week?! Are you serious?" Wrestling with his seat belt, he turned around in the passenger's seat and tried to get his jacket from the back seat. He cursed when he couldn't reach it. "Crap, crap, crap! I need to call them to let them know..."

"They've been informed. You don't have to worry about a thing."

"But what about _your_ work? Did you tell Aikawa-san? Last time she called, she sounded so angry I thought she was going to explode."

"Misaki." 

The way Akihiko said his name, so calm and reassuring, made Misaki forget what he'd been doing. Quietly, he sat back in his seat.

"It's going to be ok. Trust me."

If those words hadn't been enough to convince him, the smile on Akihiko's face would've erased any trace of doubt from his mind.


	2. Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: ~~cooking~~ | **rest**
> 
> No, these aren't separate ficlets. I'm making a story combining the Romantica Week prompts. Wish me luck.

When they finally arrived and got out of the car, Misaki didn't know where to look. All around him, there was nothing but beauty to be seen. Akihiko had brought him to a traditional Japanese vacation home in a secluded valley. The grass was so green that it almost looked photoshopped, with clusters of conifers and deciduous trees providing shade and splashes of color. Mountains surrounded the valley on every side, their peaks reaching high into the cloudless sky. Rocks lay scattered about at the edge of a small lake in the middle of the valley. The sun sparkling off the water was almost blinding.

"Where in the world are we?"

Akihiko chuckled as he put a hand on Misaki's head. "In a place of peace and serenity." His fingers played with a lock of the other's hair. "I discovered this place around five months ago. It seemed like a good place to escape to when you've gotten tired of being among other people all the time."

"So this doesn't belong to the Usami family?"

"Thankfully not. I didn't want to get my family involved in this. If anyone found out we're on vacation, they'd stop by to pay a visit and that would ruin everything. The whole point of coming here is that we won't be disturbed by anyone."

Knowing the Usami family, the chances of someone showing up weren't as slim as Akihiko pretended them to be. They were a persistent bunch, all of them.

 _The apple doesn't fall far from the tree,_ Misaki thought. He didn't say that out loud though. If he'd learned anything from his past conversations with the Usamis, it was that comparing family members could be as dangerous as walking through a minefield. Not the best way to start a vacation. If he wanted to relax, he needed to stop thinking about the things that could go wrong.

"Usagi-san?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you for bringing me here. This place is... nice."

Akihiko's fingers stopped moving. "Nice? Is that all you have to say about it? I never knew you were so hard to please."

"Don't make fun of me," Misaki growled, swatting his hand away.

"All right, all right. No need to get angry. I know what you were trying to say. But just so you know, I wouldn't mind if you got a bit picky every now and then. This is all for you, so if there's anything you don't like you can tell me."

_Idiot. Who in their right mind would be unsatisfied with this?_

Misaki let his gaze wander to the gravel path that led around the lake. He was looking forward to going for a stroll later, when the mountain tops could protect them from the harsh sun. Until then, he wanted to seek out the shade. A few clouds or a cool breeze were the only things that were missing, but Akihiko couldn't change that.

"Hey, maybe we can just sit down for a bit," he suggested. "I don't feel like unpacking just yet. The heat is making me lazy."

Akihiko raised an eyebrow, but then smiled and nodded. They found a nice spot under a tree nearby. Misaki was about to sit down when he was suddenly pulled back. He ended up between Akihiko's legs, with the man's arms hugging him around the waist. Misaki struggled out of habit, but both his body and mind gave up within seconds. The comfort of being caught in a loving embrace was too good; he didn't want to fight it.

Only a minute or two later, his eyelids became heavy. What little remained of his energy he used to feel the movements of Akihiko's chest against his back as they breathed, until he eventually dozed off.


	3. Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3: ~~stargazing~~ | **promise**

After sunset, Akihiko and Misaki had reluctantly gotten out from under the tree and brought their bags to the vacation home to unpack. Clothing, toiletries and a small bag with food and common necessities (including lube, which Akihiko deemed absolutely necessary) was all they had brought, so it took them less than an hour to put everything in the right place. 

Misaki had the entire wardrobe to himself, thanks to a certain someone who had decided that keeping his clothes in his bag was much easier. Just this once, he refused to let a minor display of laziness bother him. Besides, there wasn't anything else to be done. He didn't even have to prepare dinner, because Akihiko had made sure that the food was delivered at their doorstep around 6:30 PM. As it turned out, the city wasn't as far away as Misaki thought. 

When the food arrived, they enjoyed a chilled noodle dish with all of their favorite toppings while the day faded into twilight. They kept the sliding doors at the front of the house open to get a nice view of the lake. It was finally starting to cool down too.

Misaki had meant to explore the area after dinner, but the hands caressing his back and the lips smoothing over his neck when he made his way to the door had changed his mind. The rest of the evening had been spent in the bedroom. By the time Akihiko was done with him, all Misaki could think about was getting some sleep.

~◇~

The cool of night made way for another wave of hot, humid heat as the sun rose. Morning came early in the summer, but Misaki stayed in bed for another five hours. When Akihiko finally came to join him for breakfast, it was almost time for lunch. That didn't matter much though. The lack of obligations made it seem like they had all the time in the world.

Noon passed leisurely. Akihiko drove them to the nearest grocery store to get food for the rest of the week. They got ice cream afterwards, which resulted into an absolute mess and wet, sticky hands pretty fast. Misaki yelled at Akihiko for making a show of cleaning his hand with his tongue, but he couldn't stay mad for long.

Once back at their vacation home, they stored the groceries away and sat down. Misaki sighed and fanned himself with a magazine he'd picked up at the store. If there was one thing he didn't like about summer, it had to be the weather. The combination of heat and humidity made him sweat so much that he smelled like the editors at Marukawa during hell week. 

He frowned. _No, don't think about work. You're on vacation._

Akihiko was staring at him with a look Misaki knew all to well. It was a curious, calculating look that would make most people uncomfortable. Once you'd gotten used to it, it wasn't all that intimidating anymore.

"There's something on your mind," he said. "Are you not enjoying your time here?"

Everything had been going so well until now. If Misaki messed it up, he'd never forgive himself. He managed a weak smile.

"Yes... I mean, no, I am enjoying it. I just got distracted for a second."

"Distracted by what?"

"I was thinking that I could use a shower."

"Your face says otherwise."

"It's true. Look, I _reek_ and my clothes are sticking to my skin and it's bothering me. I'll be back in like ten minutes."

Misaki expected Akihiko to stop him, to grab his arm or pin him down, but he got to the bathroom without any trouble. Why did that disappoint him? _Idiot._ He shook his head and turned around to shut the door. His hand was already reaching for the handle when he stopped midway. Akihiko stood right outside the bathroom, ready to walk in. Misaki lowered his arm and took a hasty step back.

"What are you doing? I just said I was going to take a shower."

"The more the merrier, don't you agree?"

"What? No, no, no. We are not doing this. Get out."

Unfortunately, nothing he said could keep Akihiko from coming in. The moment the bathroom door closed behind them, the room suddenly seemed much smaller. Misaki started looking anywhere around him just to avoid eye contact, but he felt the weight of his lover's gaze on him. His skin felt itchy. Cold fingers touched his jaw, guiding it back so he was forced to look at Akihiko.

The man, surprisingly, didn't say anything. He leaned in for a kiss, his hands tenderly cupping Misaki's face as their lips met. There was no force behind the kiss, only an invitation to relax and let go. The minutes ticked away as Misaki gave in, allowing himself to be in the moment.

When Akihiko moved back, he smiled and ran a finger over Misaki's lips. "I'll do anything to make this vacation worthwhile, but I can't do that all by myself. You have to promise me that you'll try to stop worrying so much."

"I'm not worried."

_That's a big fat lie and you know it. Stop it already.  
_

Misaki groaned. "All right, fine. I promise."

Despite his best efforts, he couldn't keep up the grumpy act. As soon as Akihiko pulled him close again, the corners of his mouth twitched with the tiniest smile. He intended to keep his promise, knowing that Akihiko would do the same. It wasn't going to be easy, but at least he didn't have to do it on his own.


	4. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4: **family** | ~~snow~~
> 
> You could argue this would fit the "morning" prompt too, but that wasn't one of the prompts for day 4. So, there. I'm a day behind schedule. That's what I get for procrastinating.

As more days went by, Misaki began to get used to the silence around him. Aside from that one time he wanted to take some pictures of the scenery, his cell phone hadn't been out of his pocket since they arrived. He was proud of himself for being able to resist checking his email. Akihiko often complained that he spent too much time on his phone, saying it was an addiction. Comparing it to smoking was an easy way to put an end to those claims, although that usually led to something more physical (and equally addicting).

They engaged in those physical activities more frequently now that they were in a different environment. The mornings and evenings were packed with hours of rolling around in bed. It required stamina (one of Akihiko's obvious strengths, as Misaki had already discovered long ago) and a high libido (also a well-known quality of the man). The latter was both a blessing and a curse, depending on the situation.

Three years ago, Misaki would've denied if someone pointed out his appreciation for Akihiko's sexual appetite. The thought alone would've sickened him. Yet here he was, naked, in the arms of the person who he'd called a pervert on a regular basis, lying against him without shame or hesitation. Indeed, a lot had changed... for the better.

Akihiko's fingers followed a trail from his shoulder down to his hand, slow and soft. It gave him goosebumps. He snuggled up closer without disrupting the motion. Their fingers intertwined.

"You're particularly cuddly today," Akihiko said with a chuckle. He brought Misaki's hand to his mouth and kissed it, sending more goosebumps over the other's skin. "Maybe we should just stay like this for the rest of the day."

"We can't spend all of our time in bed."

"Why not? It's cozy and we're getting plenty of exercise."

Misaki scoffed, but didn't argue. Tempting as the idea was, he did have plans to go for a swim in the lake. With the clouds gathering above the valley, he wasn't sure what kind of weather they were going to get, so it'd be unwise to put off swimming any longer.

Getting out of bed didn't go smoothly. For one, his body refused to cooperate, being sore and unwilling to move. Another problem was that Akihiko had trapped one of his legs between his own. It'd be easier to give up, but that would sabotage the plans Misaki had made.

He gave it another shot, wriggling away to the edge. The hands on him stayed where they were without pulling him back. The covers slid down to his abdomen, barely covering him. He heard a displeased groan come from the other side of the bed, but that didn't stop him.

Right when he wanted to lower his feet to the floor, the door slid open with a loud bang.

"Akihiko nii-sama! I've been trying to get in touch with you for hours. Why are you ignoring my phone calls?"

Remember that thing about the Usami family being persistent? Well, this was the prime example.

"Kaoruko-san?" Startled and panicking, Misaki pulled the covers back up. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to have a word with Akihiko nii-sama. It's important." Kaoruko avoided looking towards the bed. Her cheeks were slightly pink, and Misaki could guess why. He wasn't feeling too comfortable himself.

The covers shifted as Akihiko sat up. "Wait outside. I'll be there in a minute."

Nodding, Kaoruko turned around. Once she'd left and the door had been closed, Misaki got on his feet and picked his clothes off the floor. He was surprised by Akihiko's compliance. There seemed to be something going on that he didn't know about.

"How did she find us? Did you know she was coming?"

"I wasn't expecting her, no. She must've used my father's connections to track us down."

"Kinda defeats the purpose of us coming here, doesn't it? Any idea what she wants to talk about?"

Akihiko lazily grabbed his shirt and threw it on. "Family matters, no doubt. I guess she wants to discuss it privately, so you should go ahead and have breakfast. Don't wait for me. I intend to send her home as soon as possible, but I can't say how long it'll take."

At that point, Misaki was still barely dressed, confused, and maybe even a little annoyed - he wasn't sure. Whatever was happening to the Usami family was none of his business, so he needed to accept it and go on with his day. 

None of it made sense though. Since when did Akihiko care about his family? He got cranky every time one of his relatives showed up and went out of his way to avoid interacting with them most of the time. Even in choosing the destination for their vacation, he'd been careful to keep it a secret.

Meanwhile, Akihiko had finished putting his clothes on. After giving the other a quick peck on the lips, he walked out of the bedroom. Misaki was left alone with his thoughts.


	5. Fashion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 5: ~~AU~~ | **fashion**

Swimming turned into floating around on the lake, looking at the clouds looming up above. The blue sky from the past couple of days was completely hidden behind the mass of gray. It could start raining any moment, but Misaki made no move to get out of the water. Even when he heard someone approach, he kept staring upward.

"I'm leaving," Kaoruko announced in a monotone voice.

Surprised, Misaki got off his back and turned to face her. "Already? You just got here."

"I have other business to attend to." She crossed her arms. "How irritating. I didn't even get the chance to sit down and have a chat with you."

Misaki smiled out of sympathy. "We can talk now."

"There's no time for that. I have to go." 

Again, Kaoruko's face was looking a bit red, but that could've been because she wasn't dressed for the heat. What sane person wore a long-sleeved kimono around the hottest time of the year? Strangely enough, she didn't seem to be bothered by the weather. Even if it was doing something to her, it didn't have any effect on her bossiness.

"Come visit me in England when summer's over. You have to promise me that you'll come."

"Well, I'd love to, but..." _How am I supposed to get to England? Hang on, do I actually want to go there?_

Kaoruko glanced at the clouds up above. "You should go inside. I left a little something for you and Akihiko nii-sama."

From the way she said that, it was clear that asking about it was a waste of energy. Misaki swam to the edge of the lake, grabbing on to one of the bigger rocks there. The flat rock next to it was his way out, but he didn't go there yet.

"Thank you very much. I can't wait to find out what it is."

"Then hurry up. And let me know what you think. Send me a picture. Goodbye for now."

Misaki wanted to wish Kaoruko a safe journey, but she was already running away. A man waited for her by a black car next to the house. Her driver, no doubt. While she got in the car, Misaki climbed out of the lake. He was barely fast enough to watch them drive off and waved in their direction. Once the car was out of sight, his mind fixed itself on the promise of a surprise.

_Kaoruko-san wanted me to send her a picture. I wonder what she got us. Whatever it is, it's probably expensive._ Heaving a sigh, Misaki started making his way back to the house. He'd missed the opportunity to ask her what she needed to discuss with Akihiko, but he doubted she would've told him. The only person left to answer that question was the man he was about to see, who, knowing him, had no intention of doing so either.

First things first, Misaki needed to find out what the surprise was. He entered the house through the open sliding doors, expecting to find Akihiko in the living room, but there was no one there. Nothing that resembled a present either.

"Usagi-san?"

"I'm in the bedroom," Akihiko replied, his voice loud despite it coming from a different room. The walls of the house weren't very thick by the sound of it.

When Misaki came to the bedroom, he stopped in the doorway. What he saw inside almost made him lose it. Akihiko was wearing a midnight blue yukata, but it had a twist to it: a pattern of big, white teddy bear heads, looking strikingly similar to Suzuki-san's head. The design looked like it was made for a child, which made it even weirder, because the yukata fit Akihiko like a glove.

Clasping a hand over his mouth, Misaki tried to keep himself from laughing. His reaction didn't seem to impress his lover.

"What..." It took him a minute to get his breathing back to normal. "What are you _wearing_?"

"A custom made yukata, obviously. It was a gift from Kaoruko. There's one for you too."

_Hopefully with a different design._ "Why a yukata, of all things? It's way too hot to be walking around in that all day."

Akihiko shrugged. "She loves traditional clothing. I think yours looks more traditional than mine though. You should try it on." He took a step to the side, revealing a deep green yukata lying on the bed. A pattern of pink flowers adorned the bottom right with floating petals around it.

"Flowers? What does she think I am, a girl?"

"Oh, come on. It looks cute."

"Men's clothing shouldn't be described as 'cute'."

Actually, Misaki felt relieved. It could've been worse. She could've gotten him a yukata that matched the other one. Or a pink one with a strawberry print. He shivered at the memory of Haruhiko's antics. Thank god that chapter of his life had come to a close.

Moving closer, he got a better look at the yukata. The design was certainly prettier than that of Akihiko's, not to mention the colors were better for him. Kaoruko had put a lot of thought into it. He appreciated that, though thinking about how much it must have cost her made him feel guilty.

"Stop making a fuss and try it on."

_Now's my chance._ Misaki turned around. "Not before you tell me what Kaoruko-san wanted to talk about."

Akihiko sighed, closing his eyes. "As I told you before, it was family business. My mother got sick about a week ago and things weren't looking good for her, so she had to be taken to the hospital. She's doing ok now though. The doctor said she got a bad case of food poisoning, but with the right treatment she started to recover pretty quickly."

Hearing that brought the reassurance Misaki needed, even though it irritated him to find out he'd gotten worked up over something so trivial.

"You could've told me," he muttered.

"Bad idea. You've met my mother before, and you get attached to people too easily."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't want you to worry." Reaching his arms out, Akihiko pulled his lover towards him. "Now, are you finally going to get changed? Or do you need help getting out of those swimming trunks?"

"You're the absolute worst," Misaki groaned.

Akihiko chuckled and kissed his forehead. "I love you too."


	6. Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 6: ~~morning~~ | **work**
> 
> I already wrote a ficlet that would fit the "morning" prompt way before Romantica Week was even announced. It's titled [Sweet Mornings](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23398300) if anyone is interested.

_Oh no. Usagi-san, what have you done?_

After almost a week of keeping his cell phone mostly out of sight, Misaki had fished it out of the pocket of his shorts. And boy, was he in for an unpleasant surprise. Twenty-three missed calls from Aikawa on top of over thirty messages, asking where the hell he was and why she couldn't get in touch with him or Akihiko. 

There were a couple of emails from Marukawa Publishing too. Most of them were about problems with the air conditioning. Misaki was glad he wasn't at the office. Their vacation home may not have the luxury of air conditioning either, but at least there was fresh air. Better yet, he didn't have to share that fresh air with dozens of people.

There he was, thinking about something work-related again. This time, however, it wasn't his fault. If Akihiko had just finished his work like a responsible person, Aikawa wouldn't have bombarded them with angry complaints. Misaki had warned him about using their vacation as an escape from his deadlines. Did he not care about that at all?

He dropped his phone, which landed on the chair with his shorts. Ironically, wearing his yukata turned out to be quite comfortable. A heavy summer storm had caused the temperatures to drop significantly, so Misaki took his chance to put Kaoruko's present to good use. The only downside was him not having any shoes to go with it, but even that was a blessing in disguise.

On his bare feet, he walked towards the living room. Akihiko sat on a pillow on the floor, his laptop in his lap. It didn't look like a comfortable position with how he was hunching over.

"I'm guessing you've read Aikawa-san's messages," Misaki said, tapping his fingers against the doorframe. "Care to explain why she's so upset?"

Akihiko looked up from his screen. The dark circles under his eyes proved that he'd woken up long before Misaki. A rare occurrence, yet not as rare as him meeting his deadlines.

"You're wearing your yukata," he said in a hoarse voice, a weary smile playing on his lips.

"Don't change the subject. What happened?"

"It was an honest mistake."

"Right. Like all those times you 'accidentally' forgot to finish your manuscript?"

"Believe it or not, I didn't forget anything this time. Aikawa couldn't come over to pick up the manuscript, so she asked me to send it to her and I did. But apparently what I sent her wasn't the most recent version, but the one from last month."

"How do you even manage that? Even if you keep copies of your older versions, don't you give them a version number or something?"

Pointing at his laptop screen, Akihiko showed Misaki the folder with the text documents. Each of the documents had a slightly different title, but nothing that indicated which one was the latest version. Another column on the right showed when the documents were last modified.

"Usagi-san, you do know you can sort the documents by 'date modified', don't you?" The question came out with caution.

"Of course I know. Do you think I'm stupid?"

"No, but it looks like the documents are in a random order. If you know about that feature, why aren't you using it?"

"I am. Well, I was. My laptop never does what I tell it to. It must've switched back to sorting the documents by name. That's why I sent Aikawa the wrong one."

Blaming his mistake on his laptop wasn't very professional, but Misaki believed him. He remembered having similar issues with his laptop while he was a student. Through time, he'd learned several tricks from his fellow students to keep all of his essays and assignments organized. Sitting down on the pillow next to Akihiko, he took the laptop from him.

"I'll show you something that'll come in handy, so pay attention."

It took him less than five minutes to explain how to keep track of the changes made to a document and how to compare two documents with each other. While doing so, he discovered that Akihiko was a fast learner when he wanted to be. Admittedly, Misaki felt a little frustrated by how easily the man was picking up the things that had taken him hours to understand.

When he gave the laptop back, he was rewarded with another smile.

"Thank you for teaching me. I'll be sure to use those features from now on."

_Don't look so happy about it, you idiot._ Misaki blushed and quickly got back on his feet. "Just hurry up and do what you have to do. I don't want a furious Aikawa-san showing up on our doorstep."

Even as Akihiko turned his attention back to his laptop, the smile didn't leave his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like the idea of Misaki teaching Akihiko stuff. Alright, one more chapter to go.


	7. Marriage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 7: ~~soulmates~~ | **marriage**

"Today's our last day here, huh? Time sure flew by this week."

Finishing up, Akihiko set his laptop aside and joined Misaki, who was at the table reading the magazine he'd bought days ago. He sat down across from his lover.

"Did you have a nice vacation?" he asked. The hesitation in his voice was easy to detect. Was he afraid of the answer he'd get?

"Of course I did. What, do you think one small setback is enough to ruin my vacation?"

"Maybe, if it stressed you out. To be fair, I feel like I've neglected you these last few days. This should've been a week for just the two of us, but it didn't go the way I planned."

There'd been several surprises, yes. Could they have been avoided? Probably, to a certain extent. When it came down to it, there were always unforeseen circumstances, no matter where they were. Akihiko had put so much effort into arranging this vacation by himself that Misaki couldn't get mad over a small error or two.

Dropping the magazine, Misaki let his hand slide over the table, placing it over Akihiko's. It took all of his self-control to keep it there. He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts, and looked the other in the eye.

"I'm really glad you brought me here. There's something about this place, something... magical. Even now while it's storming outside, there's this sense of tranquility. But most of all, it feels magical because you're here with me." His face burned with embarrassment, and his heart hammered in his chest. The instinct to laugh it off and flee kicked in, but he fought it. "This is better than anything I could've hoped for. Thank you."

It took him by surprise when Akihiko heaved a loud sigh. That wasn't the reaction he had expected. Before he could ask what was wrong, the man spoke again.

"You're here saying all these romantic things when it should be me. I tried to make everything perfect so that you'd see how much you truly mean to me. To eliminate any reason for you to question my devotion to you."

His tone was so loving yet so serious. It made Misaki anxious. Aside from that, he didn't understand what Akihiko was saying.

"What are you talking about? You tell me you love me all the time."

"Yes, but those are just words."

Misaki didn't think it was possible, but his face heated up even more. "You express it in other ways too. Extensively." He refused to name the examples that came to mind, in a futile attempt to save his dignity.

"And yet it never feels like it's enough."

"Then what is? What else can you do?"

The question came from genuine confusion, but when Akihiko got up from his chair and kneeled down next to the table, it all fell into place. Misaki watched with wide eyes as his lover retrieved a small, velvet box from his pocket. The box opened slowly, revealing a shiny golden ring with a round, colorful gemstone in the center.

"Misaki, I'd want nothing more than to be by your side for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?"

All of a sudden, it seemed as though world had stopped around them. The sound of the rain and the wind was gone. The thoughts in Misaki's head were gone, except for the one that just wouldn't leave. Akihiko had proposed to him.

Gaping like a fish, Misaki tried to make sense of the situation. When he realized that it was real, tears began to well up in his eyes. He stood up so fast that his chair fell and hit the floor with a loud thud. His arms wrapped around Akihiko's neck as he sank to his knees.

Through choking sobs, he managed to bring out, "Yes."

Akihiko sighed again, but unlike before he sounded relieved. Returning the embrace, he held the other tight.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing Misaki's temple. "I love you so much."

Fingers caressed the back of his neck.

"I love you too."

And thus, their vacation ended with the biggest surprise of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to rush things a bit towards the end. There's some more stuff I wanted to add, but I didn't have enough time. Now that I don't have a deadline anymore, I'm thinking of adding a bonus chapter for the stuff I glossed over (like the engagement ring).


	8. Ring (bonus)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a part of the Romantica Week event, but a bonus just for fun.

Minutes went by before they broke free from each other's hold. Misaki tried to stand, his legs feeling wobbly. It hadn't quite dawned on him yet that he was going to get married. There was the rush of excitement and joy that suited the occasion, but it all felt more like a dream to him.

The ring Akihiko presented to him was solid proof of how real it was. Misaki waited for it to be taken out of the box. He reached his hand out in front of him, his fingers relaxed and slightly apart, yet trembling. The ring was slid onto his finger, feeling neither too loose nor too tight.

"How did you know what size you needed to get? I never wear rings."

"I may have measured it a while ago."

Misaki furrowed his brows. "Uh, I think I would've noticed if you grabbed my finger out of nowhere."

"Not if you're sleeping."

_That sneaky little..._ He laughed at his thoughts, playing with the ring on his finger. Looking at the piece of jewelry made him notice the details in its design, like the rows of tiny diamonds on either side of the center gemstone. To his relief, the ring didn't look too flashy. It had been chosen to suit his taste rather than to show off.

Nevertheless, it was no ordinary engagement ring. The gemstone in the center was smooth and round, almost like a pearl. Shades of red and pink spread out in elegant waves. The familiarity of it puzzled Misaki. He’d seen something like that before.

"What made you pick this ring?" he asked.

"I wanted it to have a special meaning, aside from being a symbol of commitment."

That didn't help much, although it did encourage Misaki to think harder. Were there hints he had missed? He tried to recall the things he had seen in the past week, but none of it had any connection to the colors of the gemstone. And despite knowing that red and pink were colors associated with love and passion, he doubted it was that simple.

The ring could only be meaningful if they both understood what it meant. Misaki stopped twisting it, using his energy instead to find the answer. Somewhere, there was a reference he didn't get. It could be subtle, like a gesture, an item, or a simple phrase one of them had uttered years ago. Only one thing came to mind.

_"I'd want nothing more than to be by your side for the rest of our lives."_ Akihiko had said something similar to that before. It was the third wish he'd made on the marbles they bought at Kamakura, and therefore the most important one.

The marbles! Of course! The gemstone closely resembled one of the marbles Misaki had made his three wishes on. It impressed him that Akihiko still remembered what the marbles looked like. It felt like it all happened ages ago and yet, with the ring on his hand, the images of that day couldn't be clearer.

For the second time that day, he felt like crying. His hands caught Akihiko's shoulders as their foreheads touched.

"You're so embarrassing," Misaki muttered, aware of the tightness in his throat. He couldn't cry. Once it started, he wouldn't be able to stop himself.

Akihiko caressed his lover's cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm not the only one to blame. I did get a little help from my family."

"Your family? I thought you hadn't... wait a minute..." Lifting his head, Misaki gave a look of disbelief. "Is that why Kaoruko-san came over? You told her we were staying here, didn't you?"

"I had to. She insisted on handling everything for me. She knows a jeweler in France who specializes in custom engagement and wedding rings, so she got in touch with him and ordered the ring. The plan was to have the ring delivered to me before the start of our vacation, but the ring wasn't finished in time, so Kaoruko offered to bring it to me as soon as possible."

Maybe getting upset wasn't a valid reaction in this case, but Misaki couldn't help it. His hands balled into fists, nails digging into Akihiko's shoulders. He couldn't handle finding out that he'd fallen for such an obvious lie.

"So everything you said about your mother... was that a lie as well?"

"No, my mother did have food poisoning. But that wasn't the reason for Kaoruko's visit. She could've told me that once we were back in Tokyo, had I not asked her for help."

_Be reasonable. He did it for you._

"Does anyone else know about... this?" Misaki held his hand up to show the ring.

"Only Kaoruko knows. I've asked her to keep quiet about it. As long as she doesn't run her mouth, no one else in my family will find out."

Whether she could keep a secret, especially from Mizuki, was the real question. It wouldn't be easy for Misaki either if he wanted to keep wearing his engagement ring. He didn't think he had ever worn jewelry to work, so it'd certainly raise a few questions around the office. There'd be speculation and rumors if he refused to tell anyone.

Still, the biggest concern was that he needed to inform Takahiro and his family. He had no clue how he could deliver the news without giving his brother a heart attack, so it required a considerable amount of time and brain power. Two heads were better than one, and he was sure Akihiko wouldn't hesitate to help him in that regard. They were going to find a way together.

Misaki let his hand drop to the floor again. Before it hit the wood, Akihiko caught it and closed his fingers around the palm, pulling his lover closer. Their lips met in a kiss, warm and tender and right. Everything in that moment was exactly that: _right_.

But their future shouldn't be forgotten. Soon, they'd be so much more than lovers. The path wasn't carved out for them yet, but after all the hardships they had faced it felt like they could do anything. As long as they stood by each other, nothing could stop them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read the Erotica arc from Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi manga again and the "measuring someone's finger in their sleep" thing happened there too. I didn't remember, but maybe it was still stuck in the back of my head when I wrote this.
> 
> Time to get ready for kinktober. See y'all next month.


End file.
